Wind-wheel



(No Model.)

W. G. BRAMWELL.

WIND WHEEL.

Patented July 30, 1895.

C( OMTWr/wo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WILLIAM G. B M ELL, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

WIND-'WHEEL- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,460,dated July 30, 1895. Application filed February 19, 1894. Serial No.500,741. (No model.) i

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

. Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. BRAMWELL,

of Hyde Park, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have inventedan Improvement in Wind-Wheels, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying'drawings, is a specification, likeletters on the'drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the construction of a wind-wheelcombining great strength with lightness, rigidity, and durability,- andthe maximum of wind-surface, the wheel being so constructed that the huband rim are directly connected by the wind-blades under tension, so thatthe said wind-blades form a necessary structural part of the wheel,thereby doing away entirely with the usual wheel-frame to which theblades have been attached in various ways. By such an arrangement theentire space between the hub and the rim is utilized in presentingsurface for the wind to act upon.

My invention accordingly consists. in a wind-wheel composed of anelongated hub and a rim,wind-blades under tension directly connectingthem, and lateral braces under tension connected to the end of the huband t to the rim, substantially. as will be described.

ficient portion of a wind-wheel to be understood as embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a section thereof on the line or 0:, the blade, however, beingshown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form ofwheel. Fig. 4 is a section thereof on the line xi w, the blades beingshown in elevation; and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail on a larger scale,to be-described.

I have herein shownthe wind-wheel as composed'ofa preferably tubular rima, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) of steel or other strong and light material, anda laterally'extended hub 17, having at its central portion a disk 1)flanged o-r bent over, as at W, the said rim and hub being directlyconnected bya series of members under tension and which are herein shownas the wind-blades A. The said wind-blades are preferably composed ofgalvanized iron or other thin sheet metal of proper shape, the

" wider end of the blade which is adjacent the rim being bent over aholder 0 and riveted or otherwise secured to itself, as at c', thenarrow end of the blade being similarly turned over a like holder 0*.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rim or is provided with a series of holesthrough which bolts d, having threaded shanks d, are extended, thethreaded shanks being screwed into suitable openings in the holders 0,while similar threaded bolts d are passed through openings 19 in theflange of the disk I), and thence into the holders 0*.

1 The opposite ends of the wind-blades A are set at such an angle withrelation one to the other that the face of the blade assumes the correctposition to be acted upon by the wind, and when theblades are in placethe bolts d and (1 are tightened to place the blades in tension, wherebythey form tension members directly connecting the hub and rim, and

forma tension-wheel exactly similar to the well-known bicycletension-Wheel.

It is desirable, and in the larger sizes of wheels necessary, to providelateralbraces against wind-pressure,and thereby obviate anytendencyofthe wheel to be disturbed; and I have herein shown a cup-shapedbracesupport 6 rigidly secured to each end of the laterally-extended'hubb by a suitable bolt, as e, said supports being provided with a seriesof holes 6 through which are extended the lateral braces'f, the otherends'of the braces passing through diagonal openings in the rim a andbeing secured in place at'either end by suitable nuts f, said lateralbraces between the rim and hub being'also under tension.

cup-shaped form of the latter renders it very easy to place the bracesin position and to It will be noticed that the entire wheel, includingthe lateral braces, is supported from the hub, so that the wheel may beremoved from itssupporting-shaft B or placed thereupon as an-entirety, avery important feature, as it greatly simplifies the construction,erection, and repairing of such apparatus.

Referring to Figs. 1 and '2, it will be seen that I have staggered thelateral braces in order to better support and give the neces- Thelaterally-extended hub forms .a broad base for the brace-supports e, andthe -adjust the nuts upon the inner ends thereof.

sary strength to the wheel, adjacent braces leading to opposite ends ofthe hub.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a slightlymodified construction, whereintwo rims of of equal diameter are placed side by side, and

the outer end of the wind-blade A is secured to each of said rims bythreaded bolts :1 extended through the rims and into the holder 0. Inthis construction the holders act also to preserve the proper distancebetween the rims, and the angle at which the wind-blade is to be turnedis also preserved thereby. The extended hub 1), its flanged disk b, andbrace-supports e are the same as hereinbefore described. However, inemploying two rims I prefer to arrange the tension-braces as shown inFigs. 3 and 4:, wherein one of said braces, as f, is shown as connectingthe support 6 at one end of the hub with the rim a nearest the other endof the hub, the next brace connecting the opposite end of the hub withthe rim nearest the first-named support, so that the braces cross eachother, as clearly shown in Fig. 4:. In using a plurality of rims thespace between them depends upon the size of the wheel and the width ofthe Windblade.

It will be obvious that more than two rims could be used, if desired,without departing from my invention.

If for any reason ablade should become bent or broken, it can be readilyremoved without necessitating the taking to pieces of the entire wheel,and it may be repaired and replaced or a new one inserted withverylit-tle loss of time, and the various parts of the wheel can bemaintained at the proper tension without the employment of skilledlabor. A Wheel so constructed is very strong, of light Weight, and ismost durable.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction andarrangement of parts as herein shown, nor to the .number of rimsemployed, nor to the shape and size of the windblades, as the same maybe altered or modi fiedwithout departing from the spirit of myinvention.

By the term wind-blades I mean thin light blades of greater width thanthickness nected at their outer ends to the rim and at their inner endsto the hub, and lateral. wind braces under tension secured to the rimsand alternately to opposite ends of the elongated hub, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a wind wheel, a laterally extended hub having a central flangeddisk, and a rim, combined with a series of radial Wind blades undertension and connected at their inner ends to the flanged disk of thehub, and at their outer ends to the rim, and lateral braces also undertension, between the rim and the extended portions of the hub,substantially as described.

I. In a Wind wheel, a laterally extended hub, a rim, and wind bladesunder tension dil rectly connecting them, combined with a on pshapedsupport secured to each end of the hub, and lateral braces under tensionsecured to said rim and to the cup-shaped support, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM C. BRAMWELL.

WVitnesses:

GEORGE SANFORD, CHARLES E. PALMER.

